Before the war of Kurukshetra began, both Arjuna and Duryodhana went to Krishna for support.
Krishna gave them a choice.
On one side was his powerful Narayani army. On the other side was Krishna himself, unarmed, promising that he would not lift a weapon in the war.
Duryodhana quickly chose the army. It looked like the obvious decision. More soldiers meant more strength. More numbers meant more power.
Arjuna chose Krishna.
At first glance, Duryodhana seemed to have made the better deal. He received an army; Arjuna received one unarmed man.
But Arjuna was not choosing a man. He was choosing what Krishna represented: wisdom, direction, judgement, timing and moral confidence.
That choice changed the war.
The story is a powerful lesson in positioning.
In business, customers also choose between what is visible and what is meaningful. They may compare features, prices, packaging and advertisements. But the strongest brands are chosen for the place they occupy in the customer’s mind.
That place is called positioning.
After identity and targeting, positioning is the third discipline in brand-building. Identity answers, “Who are we?” Targeting answers, “Whom are we for?” Positioning answers, “Why should that customer choose us?”
This sounds simple, but it is where many brands become confused.
A company may know what it sells. It may know who buys it. Yet it may still fail to explain why it deserves preference.
Rato Machhindranath's chariot procession begins today
Positioning is not what a company says about itself. It is what the customer remembers about it in comparison with other choices.
A hotel may say it offers good rooms, good food, good service and a good location. But almost every hotel says the same thing. A bank may say it is trusted, modern, customer-friendly and innovative. Most banks say that too. A college may promise quality education, experienced faculty and a bright future. Again, everyone sounds similar.
When everyone makes the same claim, no one owns the claim.
A strong position is not a long list of strengths. It is one clear idea.
For years, Volvo has been strongly associated with safety. Dettol is associated with protection from germs. Royal Enfield carries a sense of character, road presence and riding culture.
These brands do many things, but they are remembered for something specific.
That is the real test of positioning: what is the one idea that comes to mind when the brand name is heard?
The answer does not have to be a word. It can be a feeling.
Some brands feel safe, premium, youthful, dependable, rebellious or close to home.
In Nepal, Goldstar has long carried associations of affordability, durability and national pride. Its appeal has changed with time, but the brand’s basic meaning has remained recognisable. Wai Wai, meanwhile, occupies a strong place around familiarity, convenience and shared memory. It is not simply another noodle. It is part of school days, travel, hostel life and quick hunger.
That is positioning at work. The product is present, but the meaning around the product makes the brand stronger.
Many companies confuse positioning with slogans. A slogan can express a position, but it cannot create one by itself.
A restaurant cannot become premium by writing “A Premium Dining Experience” on its menu. A school cannot become progressive by adding the word “international” to its name. A product cannot become youthful simply by using bright colours and social media slang.
The market checks whether the experience matches the claim.
If a brand claims convenience, the buying process must be easy. If it claims premium quality, every detail must feel considered. If it claims affordability, the customer should not discover hidden costs. If it claims trust, it must behave honestly when something goes wrong.
Positioning is a promise that must survive contact with reality.
This is why positioning is not only a communication decision. It affects product design, pricing, distribution, customer service, hiring and partnerships.
Suppose a Nepali tea brand wants to position itself as a premium Himalayan tea. Its packaging cannot look ordinary. Its sourcing story must be credible. Its retail placement must support the premium image. Its price and language must also support that premium image.
Now suppose another tea brand wants to be the everyday tea of Nepali families. The strategy would be different. Availability, familiarity, affordability and emotional warmth would matter more than luxury cues.
Both brands may sell tea. But they are not trying to own the same place in the mind.
That is why copying competitors is dangerous. A company sees another brand’s successful campaign and copies the celebrity, tone, packaging or offer. But it forgets that the competitor’s communication works because it fits an established position.
A brand should not ask, “What are others doing?” before asking, “What do we want to own?”
Good positioning also requires sacrifice.
A brand cannot be the cheapest and the most premium at the same time. It cannot be exclusive and available everywhere in the same way. It cannot be youthful, traditional, serious and playful in equal measure.
Leaders often dislike this because choosing one direction feels like losing other possibilities. But without choice, there is no position.
Krishna did not offer both himself and the army to Arjuna. Arjuna had to choose.
Brands must choose too.
They must decide which customer problem matters most, which benefit deserves emphasis, which emotion they want to create and which competitors they want to be compared against.
A useful way to test a position is to complete one sentence:
“For this customer, our brand is the best choice because…”
If the answer is long, vague or full of common words, the position is probably weak.
Another test is to ask customers, not the management team, what the brand stands for. If ten customers give ten different answers, the brand may be visible but not positioned.
Positioning becomes powerful when the company’s intention and the customer’s perception begin to match.
In Kurukshetra, Duryodhana counted soldiers. Arjuna understood significance. One chose visible strength. The other chose strategic meaning.
The marketplace presents similar choices every day. Customers see many products, many claims and many advertisements. They cannot remember everything. They give each brand a small space in the mind.
The brand that tries to occupy too much space is often forgotten.
The brand that owns one clear and valuable idea is chosen.
Brand Neeti
Positioning is not about saying many good things about a brand. It is about owning one meaningful place in the customer’s mind—and proving that position through every experience.
